Sightseeing spots for shopping in Japan
Popular shopping spots in eastern Japan
Hokkaido Region
Nijo Market (二条市場, Sapporo city)
Nijo Market is an old and historical market in Sapporo city.
It is located near Odori Park and Susukino.
About 30 fish and fresh food shops and restaurants are in the market.
Fresh fish landed mainly in Hokkaido are sold.
Especially, clabs are attractive.
It is open from 7 a.m. to evening.
Sakaimachi street (堺町通り, Otaru city)
Sakaimachi Street in winter
Photo by Otaru city
Sakaimachi street is a popular shopping street in Otaru city.
It is located to the south of Otaru Canal which is the popular sightseeing spot.
Along the street 900 meters long, there are various shops, cafes and restaurants.
Some of them are in the historic buildings built in the early 20th century.
Glassware shop, orgel shop, etc. sell the Western-style goods.
Hakodate Morning Market (函館朝市, Hakodate city)
Hakodate Morning Market is one of the famous morning markets in Japan.
It is located near JR Hakodate station by Hakodate Port.
There are about 250 shops in about 150 meters square.
Sea products, vegetables, fruits, meats and so on are sold.
There are the restaurants serving fresh fishes and ramen in the market.
It is open from early morning to 2 p.m.
Washo Market (和商市場, Kushiro city)
Toppings of fish for Katte-don in Waho Market
Washo Market is a market located near JR Kushiro station.
It is the market in a building, and there are many small shops of fresh foods.
Especially "Katte-don" in this market is a unique dish.
The guest buys a bowl of rice, visits the various shops, and tops favorite fishes on the rice.
The guest can eat it at the area in the market.
Tokyo and Yokohama
Ginza (銀座, Tokyo)
Pedestrian paradise in Ginza
Ginza is one of the oldest shopping districts in Tokyo and is the downtown representing Japan.
From the south of Tokyo station, many famed department stores and brand-name stores gather along the main street for about 1 km.
And, various restaurants, cafes, galleries are also dotted in the district.
The main street is turned into a pedestrian paradise in the afternoon on Saturday, Sunday and national holiday.
Tsukiji Outer Market (築地場外市場, Tokyo)
Tsukiji Outer Market is a district many fish shops, seafood shops, vegetable shops and other various shops.
It is to the south of Ginza district in central Tokyo.
Main market had been for the tuna auction in early morning, but it moved to Toyosu in 2018.
But the outer market remains, and is still popular for the tourists.
Toyosu Market (豊洲市場, Tokyo)
Restraurant facility in Toyosu Market
Toyosu Market is the wholesale fish and seafood market in Tokyo.
It was moved from Tsukiji in 2018.
It is located in the waterfront area about 4 km southeast of Tokyo station.
Popular tuna auction is held in this building between 5:30 and 6:30 a.m.
There is a commercial facility of Toyosu Market.
It has many restaurants and shops.
Akihabara (秋葉原, Tokyo)
Akihabara is a popular electronics quarter and a subculture town for mania and hobby.
It is located about 2 km north of Tokyo station.
Various electrical goods, game and music softwares, goods for anime and manga are sold in this area.
And, "maid cafe" is a coffee shop in where the waitresses wear maid uniforms.
The unique cafe is also popular with the foreign tourists in Akihabara.
Kanda-Jinbocho (神田神保町, Tokyo)
Kanda-Jinbocho is a district near Akihabara and there are some universities around the district.
There are not only general bookstores but also many antiquarian bookshops.
The antiquarian bookshops are mainly small, but you may find unexpected bargain.
Recently, foreign tourists visit to find old manga books.
Ameya-Yokocho (アメヤ横丁, Tokyo)
Ameya-Yokocho is a market street about 400 meters long, and is between JR Ueno and Okachimachi stations in central Tokyo.
It is also called "Ameyoko" shortly.
There are fish shops, dry foods shops, meat shops, clothes shops, sporting-goods shops and other many shops along the street.
The visitors can buy various goods cheaply.
Recently, Chinese or Asian shops are increasing in the street, so the atmosphere is changing more chaotic.
Kappabashi kitchen town (かっぱ橋道具街, Tokyo)
Food samples in Kappabashi kitchen town
Kappabashi kitchen town is a town with many shops selling various cookwares and kitchen instruments.
It is located to the west of Asakusa area in Tokyo.
Various professionalsize cookwares are sold in many stores.
And they sell the signs and decorations for restaurant.
Food samples are popular with the foreign tourists.
Guide to Kappabashi kitchen town
Takeshita street (竹下通り, Tokyo)
Takeshita street is a narrow shopping street.
Rather, Harajuku (原宿) as the area name is well-known.
It is located to just north of Shibuya district which is one of most popular downtown in Tokyo.
The length of the street is about 400 meters.
Most shops along the street are boutiques of fashion for young people.
"Kawaii" is a Japanese word meaning "cute" or "pretty", but the fashion from this street became a synonym for the word.
Guide to Harajuku & Omotesando
Yokohama Chinatown (横浜中華街, Yokohama city)
Yokohama Chinatown is the largest chinatown in Japan and in the East Asia.
It is located near Yokohama Port in Yokohama city.
After opening Yokohama port in 1859, Chinese trading merchants had come and settled here, and about 2,000 Chinese people are living now.
Many Chinese restaurants, cafes, groceries and antique shops are in this town.
Popular shopping spots in central Japan
Hokuriku Region
Omicho Market (近江町市場, Kanazawa city)
Omicho Market is a popular market with many retail stores in the center of Kanazawa city.
It has over 300 years of history
There are about 170 small shops in the market.
Many fish shops sell the fresh fishes taken from the Sea of Japan.
And, vegetable shops sell the vegetables and fruits harvested in this region.
Wajima Morning Market (輪島朝市, Ishikawa Pref.)
A stall of Wajima Morning Market
Wajima Morning Market was the street market held near Wajima Port in Wajima city.
It was very famous because most Japanese people think that Wajima is synonymous with Morning Market.
Because of the great earthquake on Jan.1, 2024, almost the whole area of Morning Market was lost when a fire broke out.
Wajima city is planning the recovery of the market now.
The members of Morning Market open the market as an event at various places irregularly.
You may find it somewhere by chance.
Tokai Region
Gotemba Premium Outlets (御殿場プレミアム・アウトレット, Shizuoka Pref.)
Gotemba Premium Outlets is an outlet mall in Gotemba city.
It is located near Mt.Fuji and Hakone.
It has the widest site in Japan, and there are about 290 shops in the malls.
Mount Fuji is seen from the site, so it is the most popular outlet mall for foreign tourists.
The one-day bus tours for shopping are operated from Tokyo.
Guide to Gotemba Premium Outlets
Yanagibashi Central Market (柳橋中央市場, Nagoya city)
Shops in Yanagibashi Central Market
Photo by Aichi Prefectural Tourism Association
Yanagibashi Central Market is a wholesale market in Nagoya city.
It is just near Nagoya station.
The atmosphere seems to former Tsukiji Market in Tokyo, and fish and vegetable are the main foods, and processed foods and flowers are also sold.
The visitors can't see the auction, but they can see the shops in the market.
It is open from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. on the days except Sunday, Wednesday and national holiday.
Guide to Yanagibashi Central Market
Ôsu (大須, Nagoya city)
Ôsu is an old shopping district in the center of Nagoya city.
There is Osu Kannon temple and various shops are around the temple.
There are electric goods shops, boutiques, maid cafes, local foods restaurants, etc.
So, it is like a town combined with Asakusa, Akihabara, Harajuku in Tokyo.
Miyagawa Morning Market (宮川朝市, Takayama city)
Miyagawa Morning Market is a well-known morning market in Takayama city in Gifu Prefecture.
Dozens stalls are on the street along Miyagawa river.
Each stall is only white tent.
Vegetables, fruits, pickles, flowers or folk crafts in this mountain area are sold.
It is open from 7 a.m. to 12 a.m. every day.
Popular shopping spots in western Japan
Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe
Shinsaibashi (心斎橋, Osaka city)
Shinsaibashisuji shopping street
Shinsaibashi is the shopping area located roughly in the center of Osaka city.
Midosuji, the main street of Osaka city, runs through this district, and a few department stores gather here.
And, local Shinsaibashisuji shopping street runs parallel to the east of the main street.
Shinsaibashi is one of main commercial areas in Osaka.
America Mura (アメリカ村, Osaka city)
America Mura is a casual shopping area to the west of Shinsaibashi.
"Ameruca Mura" means "American Village".
Since the 1970s, the shops treating the imported goods from west coast of U.S. and Hawaii have increased in this district.
There are many shops of cloths, sundry goods, CDs, etc. and this town has attracted the young people.
Nipponbashi (日本橋, Osaka city)
Nipponbashi is a commercial area located to the east of Nanba area.
It has been the town of electronic stores, and the central area is called "Denden Town".
And, there is a street called "Ota-Road" and the shops of manga and anime goods and maid cafes gather.
The town is similar to Akihabara in Tokyo.
Sennichimae Kitchenware Street (千日前道具屋筋商店街, Osaka city)
Sennichimae is an old entertainment district between Nanba and Nipponbashi in Osaka city.
Sennichimae Kitchenware Street is a narrow shopping street that there are many shops selling various kitchenware.
Each shop sells not only various tableware, tools for cooking but also cook wears, food samples, signs of restaurants, etc.
Kuromon Market (黒門市場, Osaka city)
Kuromon Market has been the main market for foods in Osaka.
It is located to the north of Denden Town in Nipponbashi district.
Foreign visitors has been increasing since the early 2010s, so many shops of the market changed to the shop for foreign tourists.
Some shops are managed by foreign capital such as China and Korea.
Now, most visitors are foreign people.
Rinku Premium Outlets (りんくうプレミアム・アウトレット, Osaka Pref.)
Rinku Premium Outlets is an outlet mall located about 35 km southwest of Osaka city.
Kansai International Airport is on an artificial island, and this outlet mall is on the opposite shore.
There are about 250 shops in the mall.
Many foreign tourists visit here.
Nishiki Market (錦市場, Kyoto)
Nishiki Market is the traditional and popular market in Kyoto.
It is located around the center of Kyoto city.
There are many shops of fish, vegetable and some other foods in this market.
Especially, you can find unique Kyoto vegetables and Kyoto pickles for Kyoto cuisine.
Because Kyoto is the popular city for foreign tourists, many of the visitors in this market are also foreign people.
Nankinmachi Chinatown (南京町, Kobe city)
Nankinmachi Chinatown is the Chinatown in Kobe city.
After opening as an international port in 1868, many foreigners are allowed to live in the city.
The town that Chinese people lives was Nankinmachi.
Many Chinese people still live there.
There are about 100 restaurants and shops.
Chugoku Region
Kojima Jeans Street (児島ジーンズストリート, Okayama Pref.)
Kojima Jeans Street is a street with many jeans shops in Kojima district in Kurashiki city.
The district is located about 15 km south of the center of Kurashiki city and is near Seto Inland Sea.
A company in Kojima created Japan's first jeans using American denim in 1965.
Since that, this district became the main producing area for jeans.
About 40 shops for jeans are dotted along the street.
Karato Market (唐戸市場, Yamaguchi Pref.)
Karato Market is the old market for citizens in Shimonoseki city facing Kanmon Strait.
Shimonoseki is famous for the center of "fugu" (blowfish) which is a tasty fish with poison.
Fresh fish, vegetable and some other foods are sold fish, vegetable and some other foods, but fugu is the main products.
There is the restaurant serving fugu cuisine.
Kyushu Region
Shinchi Chinatown (新地中華街, Nagasaki city)
Shinchi Chinatown is located in the center of old town in Nagasaki.
Nagasaki was the only city that was allowed to trade with Europe and China during Edo Period (1641 to 1859).
After opening Nagasaki port in 1859, Chinese people formed the town.
There are about 30 Chinese restaurants and various shops.
Kokusai Street (国際通り, Okinawa Pref.)
Kokusai Street is the main street in Naha city in Okinawa Island.
The area along the street is the downtown of Naha city.
There are many shops, restaurants and hotels for tourists along the street.
You can feel the style of Okinawa in this area.